Well, I have lived close to deer, horses, and woods most of my life, so the answer is yes. I have been bitten by ticks and spiders. The last time was probably last summer...I had a pretty nasty spider bite. But that was long after this ordeal started. Read my reply to zapp under this Doctors??? post and you can read my brief, brief account of the history of my health condition. I have been bitten by ticks many, many times, especially when I was a child. But we were always pretty careful when removing them. Why do you ask? I don't see the connection, but I'm intrigued to find out what you're thinking.